Gun mounting for field artillery



'(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T/NORDENFBLT. GUN MOUNTING FOB FIELD AYRTILLERY.

N0.372,323. Patented Nov. 1; 1887.

WITNESSES I INVENTUR Thorsten mrdez zfi (2. 6. g ms/1110m V (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. NORDENFBLTS GUN MOUNTING FOR FIELD ARTILLBRYV No. s72.32s. P ented Nov. 1, 1887.

WITNESSES INVENTOR E Thorsten JVbrdcvg/elt Bl/h'I SJIHOIIHl/S (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. NORDENFBLT. GUN MOUNTING FOR FIELD ARTILLBRY.

No. 372,323. Patented Nov. 1', 1887.

WITNESSES o WVENTOR (2 Ce. W Thorsten JVbrdeW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' THORSTEN NORDENFELT, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE NORDENFELT GUNS AND AMMUNITION COMPANY, (LlMITED,) OF SAME PLACE.

GUN-MOUNTING FOR FIELD-ARTILLERY.

, SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 372,323, dated November 1, 18227.

Application filed May 26, 1887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THORSTEN Norman- FELT, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 53 Parliament Street, in the city of Westminster, England, civil engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun-Mountings for Field-Artillery, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is mainly to al to low of the gun being fired effectively either when limbered up or unlimbered, and to allow of the gun being trained in the same plane as the line of fire.

In gun-mountings for field-artillery I mount 1 the gun within a cradle, so that it can slide longitudinally within it. The cradle carries compressors (hydraulic or otherwise) for checking the recoil, and springs for again running the gun forward when the recoil ceases, 2c as has before been proposed for other guns. The cradle turns on avertical pivot in asocket which forms part of a cross-head or fork-piece. The gun therefore can be trained sidewise in either direction to a considerable angle within this cradle or fork. The limbs of the crosshead or fork have trunnions projecting from them which are mounted in bearings on the forward end of the trail-pieces of the gun-carriage. o gunywhen trained, shall always move in the same plane as the line of fire, whether the trnnnions are in a horizontal or in an inclined position. The central lines of the trnnnions are in one plane with the central line of the 5 bore of the gun, sothat the gun as it recoils has no tendency to turn the cradle and gun on the trunnions, except in so far as the recoil carries the breech end-of the gun farther from the trunnions, and so alters the center of 0 gravity. v

The breech-closing mechanism is made to open sidewise, so as not to interfere with the elevating and training gear. 1 The rear end of the cradle can be lifted by ordinary elevating 5 gear,'raising or lowering a segment which supports the rear end of the cradle, on which the rear end of the gun can slide horizontally. It is trained sidewise by a worm on a horizontal axis carried by this segment or support, be-

By this arrangement I insure that the,

so as, except when the recoil takes place, to

Serial No. 239.453. (No model.)

ing made to gear with a toothed rack at the rear end of the cradle. The recoil of the guncarriage, whenever the gun is fired when limbered up, is checked in the following manner: The violence of the recoil is broken by the recoil-press on the gun-carriage, and apart of 5 the energy of the recoil is absorbed by letting the gun move a certain distance relative to the carriage. The trunnions being "above the axle of the gun-carriage, the recoil tends to force the rear end of the trail downward. This tends to turn the axle of the limber in a direction to run thelimber backward, (the axle being then locked to the wheels by brakes.) The backward recoil of the gun-carriage, on the other hand, tends to force back the axle in a direction to run the limber forward. so that the two tendencies more or less neutralize one another. Springs are provided between the axle of the limber and the cartridge-magazine mounted on it.

To cause the recoil to apply brakes to the wheels of the limber, the trail is not coupled directly to the frame of the limber by a pin or pintle, as is usual, but is by this pin coupledto the center of a bar or-lever which can slide horizontally toward the axle, its ends bearing against springs in two cylinders. These cylinders have each an arm extending from them and carrying a brake-block-one for one wheel, the other for theother wheel. The two cylinders are also connected by a cross-bar at the back, which ties both the cylinders and their brake-arms together into one piece. A spring is provided to press this bar backward,

5 hold the brake-blocks away from the wheels. When, however, the recoil takes place, the springs in the two cylinders are compressed, and, overcoming the spring which acts against the tie-bar, force the brake-blocks against the periphery of the wheels. Even after the brakes have been forced to act the springs can be further compressed, whereby the violence of the recoil is still more minimized, and the point on which the trail end rides is brought nearer to the axle of the limber.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a. plan view, of a gun carriage and limber formed as above described. Fig. 3 is a part end view of the gun-carriage. Fig. 4 is aside elevation, on a larger scale, of the gun and elevatlng, training, and recoil gear. Fig. 5 is aplan view of the same with the gun removed. Fig. 6 is a cross-section, one half on the line AB and the other half on the'line O D. Fig. 7 1s a cross-section, one half on the line E F and the other on the line G H.

A is the gun, capable of sliding'longitudi nally in a cradle, B. A downward projection, A, from the gun'has secured to it the pistonrods of two hydraulic compressors, G, the cylinders of which form part of the cradle. Two coiled springs, D, bear against the back of the projection to .run the gun forward when the recoil ceases.

The rear ends of the springs bear against an abutment at the rear end of the cradle, as shown at Figs. 4 and 5. In place of using hydraulic compressors, other forms of compressors might be'uscd. On the under side of the cradle is a -pivot,-E, which is received into a socket, F, that formspart of a cross-head or'fork-piece, G.

H H are two trunnions projecting from the fork-piece. These are mounted in hearings on the forward ends of the trail-pieces I of the gun-carriage. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The cen-' 'tral lines of the trunnions are, as before'stated,

in one plane with the central line of the bore of the gun. The rear end of the cradle B is supported by ahorizontal segment, J, which is itself supportedby toothed racks K,descending from it. Toothed pinions K on an axis carried by the trails are made to gear with these toothed racks. A worm-wheel on the axis is driven by a worm on an inclined axis,

L, so that by turning this axis 'by the hand:

wheel upon it the segment can be raised or lowered to give the required elevation. The training of the gun is effected by a worm on a horizontal axis, M, carried by the segment, being-made to gear with a toothed rack, M,

on the cradle, so that the gun can be trained in either direction by bear against coiled springs'contained in two cylinders,.0. The ends of these cylinders which are nearest to the axle are coupled to a bar, P, which is parallel with the axle, and which at its ends has arms P,extending backward from it and carrying brake-blocks Q, one for each wheel.

B is a spring by which the bar P is pressed away from the axle to keep the brake-blocks off the wheels, except at the time when the gun recoils on, being fired.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature'of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. The combination, in a gun-mounting, of the trail, the cross-head or fork-piece carried by horizontal trunnions, the cradle pivoted vertically upon the cross-piece, and the gun sliding longitudinally in the cradle, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a gun-mounting, of the trail of the gun-carriage, the horizontal slide on the li'mber \in rear of the axle, the spring or springs pressing, the slide rearward, and the pin or pintle coupling the trail with the slide, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a gun-mounting, of

the trail, the horizontal slide, the spring or springs acting against the slide, the pin coupling the trail with the slide, and arms carrying brake-blocks moving with the slide, and when the springs are compressed applying them to the wheels of the limber, substantially as described.

THORSTEN NORDENFELT.

Witnesses:

E. BRUsEWrrZ, F. A. NOEL. 

